Slack-adjuster for brakes



(No Model.)

E. D. EAMES. SLAGK ADJUSTER FOR BRAKES.

No. 453,062. Patented May 26,1891..

UNITED STATES PATENT l OEEICE.

ELISHA D. EAMES, OF IVATERTONVN, NE\V YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE CON- SOLIDATED BRAKE ADJUSTER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SLACK-ADJUSTER FOR BRAKES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,062, dated May 26, 1891. Application tiled January 5, 1891. Serial No. 376,764. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may conceive:

Be it known that 1, ELIsHA D. EAMEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVatertown, in the county of Jefferson and State of 5 New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Automatic Slack-Ad justers for Brakes; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the I accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is an elevation of the slack-adj usting mechanism with the brakelevers and so much of a truck and wheels as is required to illustrate the application of my invention.

I Fig. 2 is a detached perspective vie w of mechanism embodying the invent-ion. Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of the link and shackle portion of the mechanism, and Fig. e is a longitudinal central section of the devices 2O embodying my invention on the line Fig.

2. Fig. 5 is a detached plan View of the sleevesection of a telescoping or extension connecting-rod.

Like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

My invention relates to the construction of that class of devices termed slack-adjusters, and which are employed in conjunction with brake mechanism for the purpose of preserving the proper relation of the brakeheads to the wheels when the brakes are off, so that only a given or defined movement of the power mechanism is required to apply the brakes. The change of relation between 3 5 the brake-heads and wheels arises principally from wear of the brake-shoes, and the slackadjuster to beeflicient must not only be of a character to automatically and from time to time take up the slack due to the wear of 4o the shoe and from any other cause, but must accomplish the same by a positive means simple in construction and not liable to displacement or dcrangement.

My presentinvention, generally stated, consists in the combination, with the brake-le vers, of an extension connecting-rod, (preferably telescoping,) a series of liners or shims adapted to be interposed between the sec tions of the teleseoping connecting-rod, and

5o means for automatically moving one telescoping section on the other to compensate for wear or slack.

There are other minor features of invention, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

I will now proceed to describe my inven- 5' 5 tion, so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings, A indicates that portion of a truck from which the brake-beams B B are usually suspended by hangers b b. 6o

C C indicate brake-heads, D D brake-le'- vers, and E E car-wheels, all of which may be of the ordinary or any approved form and arrangement, as the construction thereof forms no part of the present invention, and the devices, as shown, are only used to indicate elements essential to brake mechanism in general.

Instead of the common form of connectingrod usually pivoted by its opposite ends to 7o the lower ends of the two brake-levers D D',

I connect said levers by an extension-rod l, one section of which has a second connection with or is operated independently and auto matically from one of the brake-levers whenever said lever exceeds its usual or normal movement- This extension-rod is composed of sections, as at l lb, adapted to move one on or in the other, and preferably said sections are telescoping, as shown, the rodsection 8c proper l being pivoted to the lower end of the lazy77 lever or dead lever D', while the sleeve-section lb is pivoted to the active lever or live lever D.

Secured to the rod-section l*ptr at any point which will not interfere with the telescoping of the sections l lb is a minor rod or supplemental rod 2, of such length as to project beyond the main connecting-rod l and in aline parallel therewith. As no great force is ex- 9o crted on this supplemental rod 2, it may be of small diameter. The free end of-said supplemental rod is threaded or otherwise roughn ened for some dist-ance, as at 2, for the grip of a loose sliding shackle 3, which shackle is in turn roughened at one or more points 3 on its inner surface to grip the said supplemental rod 2.

The shackle 3 is connected with the lever D by means of a link 4, pivotcd on the shackle roo 65 rocking or moving shackle 3.

ver D. The supplemental rod 2, shackle 3,

and slotted link 4 constitute the secondary connection between the telescoping connecting-rod l and the lever D, and, as will hereinafter appear, this or its equivalent are neclo essary to cause the excessive movement of the brake-lever to extend the rod and take up the wear of the brake-shoes.

As hereinbefore specified, the preferred form of the extension connecting-rod is telescopical, one section lb being of sleeve or tubular form. This tubular form lb is slotted, as at 6,01' otherwise formed to admit a series of liners 7, and the end of section l of the extensionrod is or may be attened,as at G, to securely zo support the said liners.

7 7, &c.,indicate a series of liners or shims so arranged with relation to the sections of the extension connecting-rod as to fall by gravity and successively between the abutting portions lC ldof said sections as the same are gradually separated by increased excessive movements of thebrake-levers. It is evident that these liners or shims might be simply housed in a box projection on the K 3o sleeve 1b, as indicated in dotted line, Fig. 4,

and many other ways may be employed by the skilled mechanic to maintain the proper relation of the liners to the abutting portions of the two sections l lb; but I prefer to form the liners or shims with offsets 7, having eyes through which passes a pintle-rod 8, by which the said levers are pivoted to the sleeve opposite the slot 6, and in order to facilitate the withdrawal of the liners when desired I 4o prefer to provide-them with projections 7b opposite the pivots.

The upper end of the lazy lever or dead lever D may be permanently ixed in the adjustment of the brakes in the usual or any approved manner, but is preferably adjustably secured, as indicated at 9,and the power is connected with the live lever D by the usual pull-rod P or in any other suitable way. The construction being substantially such as 5o hereinbefore specified, the devices will operate as follows:

The initial relation of the parts constituting the adjuster is as follows: The upper end of the lever D is fixed, as before specified,

5 5 the inner end 1 of the rod-section l abuts against the bottom ld of the sleeve-section 1b, and the liners 7 7, &c., are all elevated and rest upon the iiat surface 6 near the inner end of rod-section 1l. The brake-heads O C 6o are at such distance from the tread of the wheel that the movement of lever D in applying the brakes will cause the pin 5 thereon to traverse only the length of slot 4 in link 4 without actuating the link 4 and without So long as there is no slack to be taken up and no material wear of the brake-shoes the parts rctain their relative position; but as vthe wear on the shoes proceeds and slack is formed the live lever D moves through a greater space than its normal movement,iu order to bring the shoes up to the wheels. When this excessive movement occurs, the pin 5 on the lever D moves the link 4 just in -proportion to said excess, the Vlink 4 rocks the shackle 3, so as to rst lift it out of positive engagement with supplemental rod 2, and simultaneously moves it-toward the end ot said rod a distance equal to said excessive movement of lever D. On the release of the brakes the return movement ot thelever D carries the pin 5 to the reverse end of slot 4fL and at the same time permits the shackle 3 to grip the supplemental rod 2, and the continued movement of the lever D back to its normal position causes the link 4, shackle 3, and supplernental rod 2 (or equivalent secondary con'.

nection) to move back with it, thus forcing the sections l Ib ot the extension-rod l apart until the distance between the abutting parts lc Id will admit a liner or shim 7 to drop between the sections and take up the slack. On the next movement of the lever D in applying the brakes it will only move through the fixed or prearranged distance, and as there is no excessive movement of said lever there will be no increase in the extension of the rod l. Wvhen the wear on the brake-shoes again permits an excessive movement of the brake-lever the operation above recited will be repeated, and a second liner or shim 7 will drop in. between t-he abutting ends ofthe sections ofthe extension-rod, and so on until all the liners are exhausted.

Among the advantages ot the present invention are the compactness, strength or rigidity, and simplicity of the structure, which especially ts it for inside brakes (which have therefore been chosen for purposes of illustration) where a compact device and one not likely to buckle under compressive force is required.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Paten t,

l. In a slack-adjuster for brakes, the combination, with brake-levers, of a sectional extension-rod which connects said levers, asec-y ondary connection between one of the sections of said rod and one of said levers, said secondary connection arranged to extend or draw out the connecting-rod, and liners or shims arranged at the abutting ends of the rod-sections, substantially as and for thepurposes specified. .Y

2. In a slack-adjuster for brakes, the combination, with brake-levers, of a telescoping connecting-rod having a sleeve-section slotted near its bottom, a series of liners arranged in the slot and adjacent to the abutting portions of the said telescoping sections, andasecond' ary connection between one of said telescop- IOO rof:

IIO

ing sections and one of the brake-levers, said secondary connection arranged to extend or draw out the connecting-rod, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a slack-adjuster for brakes, the coinbination, with brake-levers, of a telescoping connecting-rod havin g a slotted sleeve-seo tion, liners or shirns pivotally connected with the sleeve-section opposite the slot, and a seeondary connection between one of the telescoping sections and one of the brake-levers7 substantially as and for the purposes specified.

il. In a slack-adjuster for brakes, the c0rnbination, with brake-levers, of a telescoping connecting-rod composed of rod-section and a slotted sleeve-section, a series of liners or shitns, and a secondary connection between one of the brake-levers and one of the sections of the connecting-rod, said secondary connection composed of supplemental rod secured to the main rod-section, a shackle, anda slotted link connected with one of the brake-levers,

substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. In a slack-adjuster for brakes, the combination, with brakelevers, of the sectional extension-rod composed of rod-section and slotted sleeve-section, a series of liners pivotally connected with the sleeve-section adjacent to the slot thereof, supplemental rod secured to the main rod-section, a shackle arranged on the supplemental rod, and a slotted link connection between the shackle and one of the brake-levers, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

y In testimony whereof I aiiix' my signature, 1n presence of two Witnesses, this lst day of J anuary, 1891.

ELISHA D. EAMES. Witnesses:

L. C.DooLITTLE, L H. H. AYERs. 

